Kick off the summer festival season at Good Neighbor Days in downtown Roberts going on all this weekend, featuring moderate tempo rock bands known locally for many things including their female lead singers.
Requisite local rockers Boondoggle lead off on Friday, playing music from five decades, by artists such as Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones, Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Dwight Yoakam, and there may even be something by the late Tom Petty thrown in. Members are Brent Ackley, Dawn Budrow, Jim Ehlers, John Wolf and Nate Dahl. They are on starting at 9 p.m. and the Boston Haas female trio opens from 7-9 p.m., running roughly the same time as the tractor pull. The annual festival also offers a popular car show, fireworks and of course the grand parade on Sunday, which always proves to be among the most popular offerings.
Also appearing, on Saturday night, is a band that puts the long in longtime tenure of putting out quality rock music to which you can dance, Jonah and The Whales. They have been known for decades for covering artists with styles such as Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga, Pink, C&C Music Factory, Grace Potter, One Republic, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jason Aldean, Owl City and LMFAO.
Another group you can see from western Wisconsin, the Bear Creek Band, masters multiple musical styles, ranging from Hank Williams to Z.Z. Top, Lady Antebellum to Lady Gaga.
Closing out the weekend of music are the Hunyuks and friends, with their light Old School sound, at 3 p.m. Sunday.
— The food is great, patrons say at the Smilin’ Moose, but watch out with the cheese stuffed hamburger. “Great burger but when I bit it, it sprayed hot melted cheese all over me. I will go again but wear a poncho,” added one of those folk, who were responding like typical Cheeseheads (cheddar rather than colby). Could also invoke the old Italian theme from North Hudson — and the Mexican nacho cheese adage from, well, wherever — and get it stuffed with peppers, rather than the Badger State specialties derived from milk.